


March, 1986

by Rebldomakr



Series: Billy/Will [4]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Bisexual Billy Hargrove, Gay Will Byers, Homophobic Language, M/M, No Real Interactions Between Billy and Will, POV Outsider, but it's mentioned and it's still underage so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 04:59:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13069638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebldomakr/pseuds/Rebldomakr
Summary: Cautious and speculative, Steve learns about Billy and Will.





	March, 1986

**Author's Note:**

> drabble, sorry for any mistakes boo

On weekdays, Steve spent his mornings and afternoons at work. Then he spent the nights driving a group of freshmen around. Dustin and Max, mostly, while Mike and Lucas both stayed afterschool for various purposes nearly every day. Jane got a ride from Hopper most of the time. But he became chaperone/babysitter for all  of them on the weekends.

He was sure it was Ms. Byers giving Will his ride to and from school. He’d seen her at the beginning of the year, at least. Had coffee with her a few times, becoming a bit more mature by having brunch with another adult in a diner. Most of what Joyce talked about was Will, naturally. Steve was happy to listen. The kids were all partially his by then and he liked being up to date on all of them. At least Joyce talked, he had to buy information out of Mike to learn anything about Jane without asking her. ( _Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair and Ms. Henderson were all eager suppliers, too. He was well-liked_.)

Steve didn’t know that Joyce hadn’t been driving Will the snow had melted. And he didn’t know for how long, but he’d learned Billy Hargrove had taken to driving Will Byers around. He saw it. Will was sitting in the passenger seat, messing with the radio while Billy smoked at a red light.

The first chance he got, he asked.

“Billy’s been driving him around for a few weeks.” Dustin said. “It sucks. He spends all his time with that asshole.”

Steve sighed. “Dustin, hasn’t your mom told you to stop swearing?” The same time he said it, Max groaned loudly.

“He won’t drive me anywhere.” She said. “He’s lucky I haven’t told his dad.”

“And when Billy threatened to shove her face to the asphalt, Will didn’t even care!” Dustin threw in. “All he cares about if Billy. He talks about him constantly!”

“’Oh!’” Max began to talk in a forcibly soft, high-pitched voice. “’Billy said he’d pick me up at seven, I can’t be late’”

Dustin joined her. “’Billy likes AC/DC, so I do too!’”

“’Billy’s favorite color is blue!’”

“’Billy likes pancakes!’”

“’Billy took me out to ice cream yesterday!’”

“Billy is so awesome!’”

Steve began blocking them out, ignoring their continued mocking, at least for another minute before he told them to shut up.

“Point is,” Dustin said. “Will’s totally been ditching us for him!”

“Mike pouts the entire time we hang out now. Even Jane can’t make him not act like a brat.” Max said. “Not that it matters, Jane likes Billy, too!”

 Steve started trying to keep an eye out for Billy Hargrove and little Will Byers. Kept an ear out, too.

Billy took Will to all the senior parties. They sat together at lunch, which Billy would actually buy for Will most days, apparently. Steve learned that Billy gave Will five dollars in quarters when he went to the arcade. And, when he picked up Dustin one day from Mike’s, he realized Billy hadn’t been there for Max.

“Her mom’s got her.” Billy said. Mrs. Wheeler was giving him plate after plate of food, practically ignoring Steve himself. “I’m here for Will.”

“Isn’t he sweet? He’s mentoring the boy.” Mrs. Wheeler said, looking at Billy then blushing like she was a school girl. It was horrifying for Steve to watch.

Just as he was mentioned, Will appeared from the basement. “Billy!” He greeted.

“Better get going, dude, your mom wants you back in time for a family dinner tonight.” Billy said.

Will bobbed his head and slotted himself to the older teen’s side. He looked a lot like a puppy, in Steve’s view.

He didn’t think too much more on it for a while. Billy wasn’t a total asshole anymore, it seemed. He still wanted to fight Steve whenever they were alone, and seemed to always be carrying a bruise probably because he could never keep his damn mouth shut. At least he wasn’t threatening the kids anymore.

He didn’t think too much on it until he caught Billy groping Will. Not the friendly, ha-ha groping, but a full on hand squeezing his junk. Worse than catching his parents having sex when he was seven, at least they were supposed to do that. Steve was fucking positive that it wasn’t okay for Billy to go around groping kids.

Steve almost told someone, but then he had to admit defeat. He was doing worse things when he was fourteen. He’d been smoking weed with Tommy and Carol, trying to throw parties to please the upperclassmen. He’d lost his virginity before high school had even started, to a girl about to turn eighteen. The only thing he had to worry about was the fact that they were both guys.

“What would you do if you saw a guy touch another guy?” Steve asked Nancy, two days after the incident.

“Depends,” Nancy said. “Is the guy being touched willing?”

Steve thought for a second. Will had been red-faced, sure, but he definitely didn’t seem unwilling. “Fully consensual.” He said.

“Then I’d mind my own business. I’ve seen a man and woman nearly have sex in the movie theater. Two guys, or two girls, is no different.” Nancy proclaimed.

“Okay.” Steve said slowly. It definitely was weird, but if Nancy was it was okay, then it had to be. “Thanks.”

“Why do you ask?” She questioned.

“I saw a guy grope the other day when I was dropping Dustin off at school.” Steve explained. “It’s gross, but I don’t want to be a jerk.”

Nancy gnawed on her bottom lip. “It was Billy and Will, wasn’t it?” She whispered.

Steve blinked. “Yeah.” He said. He paused. “How did you know?”

“Jonathon and I went out to a play a few months ago, in January. It was off a distance and we almost stayed the night there, but we decided to head back. We got back at about six in the morning, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep with my parents around. I was visiting then, and I can never sleep past nine at home.” She shook her head. “Sorry, I’m getting distracted. Anyways, Jonathon and I went to his mom’s house. She was out with Hopper and wouldn’t be back until the afternoon. And Billy was there with Will, and Will was all,” She gestured to her legs and at her neck.

“All, what?” Steve frowned.

“He had bruises everywhere.” Nancy said. “And bites. It looked like he was jumped and,” She sighed. “It didn’t look good. And Billy said he’d found Will in the forest. It was obvious he was lying, but, Jonathon, you know,”

“Wanted to believe anything but his brother going at it with Billy Hargrove.” Steve finished. “Shit.” He shook his head. “Jesus.”

“Billy stays there a low, now. Ms. Byers likes him.” Nancy said. “Though, um, no one’s supposed to know. His dad isn’t very pleasant.”

“Just doesn’t like Billy being a queer.” Steve said.

“No. It isn’t even just that. Jonathon told me Billy came there once with a busted face, worse than he’s ever done to you.” Nancy said.

Steve winced.

“Don’t worry about Will, though.” Nancy said. “I think they’re good for each other.”

Steve decided to trust her instinct.


End file.
